Locking device.



G. E. PALMER.

LOCKING DEVICE. APPLIUATIOH, FILED MAY 1o. 1912.`

Patented Oct. 8, 1912.

figg@ o "Illy, 'nV/Wr 1w m W mM G GRANVILLE E. PALMER. OF BROOKLINE,MASSACHUSETTS.

LOCKING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct.. 8,1912.

Application filed May 10, 1912. Serial No. 696,451.

To all whom t may concern.:

Be it known that I, GRANVILLE E. Parr MER, a citizen oit the UnitedStates, and resident of l ookline, in the county of Norfolk and Sta ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 1 nLocking Devices, of which the following 1s a' specilieation.

This invention relates to locking devices, and it .is especiallyapplicable to such devices as are commonly used for locking covers uponmeters.

The invention, as illustrated by the accompanying drawings, is shown inconnection with a meter for measuring electrical service, but it is notto be understood that the invention thereby limited to that specie use.

Of the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention: Figure lrepresents a front elevation of an elect-ric meter the cover of which islocked in place by the device hereinafter` explained. Fig. represents aperspective view of two cooperative members of the device. Fig. 3represents a perspective view ot' another member ot the device, which isadapted to be intel-locked with one ot' the mei'nbers in Fig. Q. Fig. trepresents a vertical section through the coupled portions et' couplingmembers embodying a modification. Fig. 5 represents a horizontal sectionthrough the structure intersected by line .3-5 ot' Fig. l.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts wherever theyoccur.

The .locking device comprises two coactive members l() and ll, and twospecially constructed niits 12, .12, which are loclted against; rotationby the members 1t) and 11 respectively. A necessary adjunct to thelocking device is means tor holding thc members 10 and l1 in interloclwdrelation. which adjunct is, however, not a part ot' the presentinvention. It. is nevertheless illustrated by I `igs. l and --t andcomprises a loop i3 and a seal which is represented conventionally atlet.

rThe cover ot an elect ric mctcr is indicated at l5, and two screws Vforsccuriug the cover to the meter are indicated at tti, 1h. The meteritself docs not appear on the drawings `because it is concealed behindthe cover lo, but it may l assumed that the inncr ends of the screwsVtti are suitably anchored to the meter and project through suitableholes in the cover sutliciently to receive t-he nuts l2 in the usualmanner.

The function ot the locking device is to lock the nuts l2 againstrotation so that the cover cannot be removed aml replaced withoutdetection. rlhe members l() and l1 are formed with thc locking portionsin such manner that a single sealing device is sullicient to prevent.rotation of both o't' the nuts. llach nut is tormcd with wings t7, andthe wings are provided with slots 1S adapted to receive the members l()and ll. The outer ends of the members 1() and l1 are the same inconstruction; but their inner ends, which are adapted to be inter-lockedwith each other, are provided respectively with an ear 1t) and a hole2t), the hole being adapted to receive the ear.

The device in thc torm shown by liigs. 1, 2 and 3 is composed ot sheetmetal, and the ear l!) is formed bv striking up a portion in the form ofa bridge or loop through which the loop 13 may he passed. The nuts 1Qare likewise preferably made ot' sheet metal. because oi the ease withwhich the ears 17 may be formed. '.lhc members 10 and ll are providedwith slots, indicated at` 2l, through which the screws lt extend whenthe locking device is attached.

The device is applied to a meter in thc following manner.' .f\ l'tcr thecover has bcen placed over thtI screw lli thc lnclnbcrs l() and ll aroinserted separately in the nuts l2 in thc relation shown. and thc nuts,together with their locking members which arc then separated l'rom cachother, are screwed upon the respective screws lt' until the nuts bindwith thc desircd l'orcc upon thc cover. The interlocking ends ot' themembers l() and ll arc then placed in such relation that the loop lt)projccts through thc hole ill). 'l`hc loop il is thcn placed through theloop lt) and thc cnds thcrcol' are scalcd by thc scalingl mcnabcr lt.'l`hc lncnlbcl's lt) and ll are adapted to bc :ipplicd to any meter ot'which the screws lt' lic within thc range ot' tlu` slots Ll. thclocking` mcmbcrs bcing l'rec to slidc with relation to thc nuts as wellas with rclat ion to the screws. lVhilc the loching nuanbers lt) and Iland thc nuts 'l2 may be composed ot any suitable dnctilc sheet metal, itis prctcrable to malte them otI almninum because tlulextremot'lilliculty ot' ltltl ,having provisions tor the receptionsoldering or otherwise joining two pieces of aluminum is so great as todefeat an attempt to conceal detection.

In'the form shown by Fig. 4, the locking member 'indicated at l0)c andthe complemental member indicated at 11x are composed of glass. Themember l()X is provided With an ear 19", and the member 11X is providedwith an opening 20* adapted to receive the ear.Y A hole 13X in the earis adapted to receive the loop 13 of a sealing device.

In each of the forms shown, the inter locking portions of the couplingmembers fit sufficiently closely to prevent sagging of the couplingmembers, and they are thereby supported in alinement with each other,thus improving the appearance of the device when attached.

l claim:

l. A device forlocking a cover upon a meter or the like, comprising twodetachable threaded members for engaging com-v plemental threadedmembers ot' the meter to hold the cover on the meter, and two detachablecoupling members, said coupling members and detachable threaded membersbeing separable and having interlocking parts for preventing relativerotation of the latter members, said coupling members havingcomplemental portions whereby the;Y are adapted to be coupled with eachother while interlocked with said detachable threaded members, thecoupling portion of one coupling fiember having provision for thereception of a sealing device, to seal the coupling members in coupledrelation.

2. A device for locking a cover upon a meter or the like, comprising twodetachable threaded members for engaging complemental threaded membersot'A the meter to hold thefcovervon the meter, and two dctachablccoupling members, said toupling members and detachable threaded membershavingY interlocking parts for preventing relative rotation of tirelatter members, said interlocking parts being adapted to enable diecot'lpling membersl to slide toward and from each other, said couplingmembers having portions whereby1 thev are adapted to 4 be coupled witheach othcr whileI mtcrlocked with said detachable threaded members, the

coupling portion'oll om` coupling member i of a sealing device to sealthe. coupling members in coupled relation.

fi. A de 'ice for locking a cover upon a meter or the like, comprisingtwo threaded members for holding the cover on the meter, and twodetachable coupling members for preventing rotation of said threadedmembers, said threaded members having slots -for the reception of saidcoupling members whereby the coupling members are 1nterlockedrespectively with the threaded members and wherebythe coupling membersare enabled to be adjusted toward and from each other, one of saidcoupling members having a projecting portion and the other having anopening through which said portion may be inserted, said portion havingan opening through which a sealing device may be passed to seal thecoupling members in coupled relation.

Lt. A device of the character described comprising two detachablethreaded mem bers for engaging complemental threaded members, f nd twocoupling members for preventing rotation of said detachable threadedmembers, said coupling members and detachable threaded members havingcoactivc connecting portions adapted to permit. relative slidingmovement, and said coupling members having coactive coupling portionsadapted to support them between said threaded members without sagging,one of said coupling members having provisions tor receiving a sealingdevice for sealing the coupling members in coupled relation.

5. A device for locking a cover upon a meter or the like, comprising twodetachable threaded membersI for engaging complementalthreaded membersof the meter to 'hohl the cover on the meter, and two detachablecoupling members, sai-d coupling members and detachable threaded membersbeing separable and consisting of ductile `sheet metal, said detachablethreaded members having wings andslots for the reception ot' saidcoupling members whereby the coupling members are capable of adjustmentand whereby the detachable threaded members are held against rotation,one of said coupling members having a loop for the reception ot asealing device, and the other coupling member having an opening for thereceptic'iu ot` said loop, v

lutestiinouy whereof lv have aliixed my signature, in presence of ttwowitnesses. .w

'it nesses:

hu/run l. Annu., l. XV. inzzn'r'rr.

